It may not be the most beautiful or exotic fish in Africa. But it is big. Very big. The Nile perch can grow up to two meters long and weigh over 200 kilos. A single catch can feed an entire family – and provides almost half a square meter of skin. This very skin, once discarded as worthless waste, is now the foundation of Ambani Fish Leather.

From Predator to Lifeline

The Nile perch is a predator. It feeds on smaller fish, crustaceans – and, on rare occasions, even young crocodiles. In East Africa, it has been a central food source for decades, its white fillets exported all the way to Europe and Asia. But its true “gold” lies in the skin.

“The Nile perch is not a beautiful fish – but it has given us a beautiful material.”
— James Ambani

The Skin – Stronger Than Cow Leather

Fish skin may sound fragile, almost delicate. But the opposite is true: its fibers crisscross, making it extremely tear-resistant – stronger than cow leather. And the best part: over time it becomes more supple and gains character. Each piece remains unique, shaped by nature.

Tradition Meets Modernity

Fish leather is no modern novelty – it is an ancient craft. In Iceland, people once made shoes from wolf fish leather so robust that journeys were measured by the number of pairs worn through. In Arctic regions, Indigenous peoples – such as the Inuit in Canada or the Ainu in Japan – created clothing and gloves from fish skin. A nearly forgotten knowledge that now finds a new future in Turkana.

The Golden Catch

Sometimes the Nile perch is not only “worth gold” in a figurative sense – it shows it quite literally. Fishermen in Turkana report rare specimens with skin shimmering in an intense golden hue. Catching one is said to bring good fortune.

“They say when you get this golden Nile perch, it is a good sign. It is believed to live where there are rocks of gold.”

Or, as Ambani themselves describe it: “The skin is a natural pure Gold for Ambani Fish Leather.”

For the people of Turkana, the golden Nile perch is more than a rare sight. It is a symbol that even in the ordinary, a hidden treasure can be found.

From Turkana to the World

Today, products made from Nile perch leather are appreciated not only in Kenya. They have already been delivered to the United States, presented in Italy, and integrated into collections by Kenyan designers. What was once considered waste is now a sought-after material – sustainable, strong, and unique.

Nile Perch in Numbers
🐟 Length: up to 2 m
⚖️ Weight: up to 200 kg (record catches over 230 kg)
📏 Skin surface: approx. 0.5 m² per fish
🐊 Diet: fish, crustaceans, occasionally even young crocodiles
🌍 Habitat: Nile, Congo, Lake Turkana, Lake Victoria

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